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The City of Lost Children (1995)
"La cité des enfants perdus" (original title)

R  |   |  Fantasy, Sci-Fi  |  15 December 1995 (USA)
7.7
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Ratings: 7.7/10 from 53,218 users   Metascore: 73/100
Reviews: 234 user | 71 critic | 16 from Metacritic.com

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
One
Daniel Emilfork ...
Judith Vittet ...
...
...
Geneviève Brunet ...
Odile Mallet ...
Mireille Mossé ...
Serge Merlin ...
Rufus ...
...
Joseph Lucien ...
Mapi Galán ...
Briac Barthélémy ...
Pierre-Quentin Faesch ...
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Storyline

Krank (Daniel Emilfork), who cannot dream, kidnaps young children to steal their dreams. One (Ron Perlman), a former whale hunter who is as strong as a horse, sets forth to search for Denree, his little brother who was kidnapped by Krank's men. Helped by young Miette (Judith Vittet), he soon arrives in La Cite des Enfants Perdus (The City of Lost Children). Written by Marie-Andree Poisson

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

children | dream | aging | girl | rescue | See All (72) »

Taglines:

Where happily ever after is just a dream. See more »

Genres:

Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing and grotesque images of violence and menace | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

| |

Language:

|

Release Date:

15 December 1995 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The City of Lost Children  »

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,513,028 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

|

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Although it appears to be a Chinese tattoo studio, the tattoo artist and his wife argue in Vietnamese. See more »

Goofs

The words from The Original that Miette remembers in flashback (after she receives Uncle Irvin's dream message) differ slightly from what The Original actually said, although the point of the message is still the same. See more »

Quotes

One: Miette too little.
Miette: Not as little as all that.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Cell (2000) See more »

Soundtracks

'Deux guitares"
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
A dark beautiful fairy tale
19 December 2004 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

As in Amelie and Delicatessen, Jeunet is interested in the complex connections between things, even as small as a flea. The film is not so much about a story as it is about illustrating how the characters got where they are, often with a fast- paced sequence of events like a Rube Goldberg device. Open up your eyes and mind to the world that is created here, leave behind expectations of how it should function or how the plot should advance. You will be richly rewarded. The sets and costumes are gorgeous, true enough, but the true beauty lies in the characters and their lives; the children that are too grown up, the hero who is more a child than they are, the imperfect creations of science, and the improbable leftovers of a circus freak show.


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This film. It is INCREDIBLE! (first time watcher) 8paul
What a mess of a movie; awful streek53
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How did Ron Perlman end up in this movie? bko376
Bio shock? talan72
This movie reminded me of Pan's Labyrinth Chiscokid88-1
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